The Joy of Parenting
by Heliotrope-Housecat
Summary: Beru and Owen Lars lived a simple life full of the hard work and little reward of moisture farming. However, things were set to change forever when they suddenly became parents for a certain Jedi baby. INDEFINATE HIATUS


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They all belong to GL. Heck, if I owned the characters, do you really think I would be sitting at a computer wasting my free time writing this? No, I'd be in a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean, or driving a Ferrari (or maybe a Porsche) or sipping cocktails at my own personal spa. But I'm not. Oh well – one can dream.

**Chapter One – Argumentative Crisis**

He took her aside into the garage, leading her by the shoulder. She turned to look at him, hands on her hips. He noticed that gleam to her eyes…

"No." He said, forcefully. She just cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrows slightly in the 'look' so common among women that turns most men to putty. But Owen Lars was not most men. "No Beru," he repeated, "We are not taking him in as our own."

"We don't really have a choice," she replied, calmly.

"When did we ever have a choice!" he snapped.

"See sense, Owen. We're the only family he has and…"

"We're not even related to him…"

"Your father married his grandmother, for pity's sake!" screeched Beru, losing her cool edge. Her usually calm voice rose in pitch.

"We're not closely related then. It is a weak bond by marriage and…"

"Isn't that enough? By blood or by marriage he is still family, whether you like it or not. He's your nephew. We can't just turn him away,"

"Watch me!" challenged Owen, turning for the door. In three steps Beru had cut off his exit, a hand on either side of the doorframe.

"Owen, no!" she said, fire in her eyes.

"I'm not bringing up one of… of… of _them _in the homestead!" Owen yelled.

"One of what, huh? A Jedi?"

"You know exactly what I mean Beru,"

"Anakin was a Jedi. His mother was very proud of him," she whispered.

"Yeah, the main word there being 'was', I mean – look at what happened!"

"Owen…"

"No. This is not open to argument or discussion. He is just too dangerous!"

"He's just a baby, for sanity's sake!" shrieked Beru. There was a pause, silent save for the steady dripping and whirring of a vaparator storage tank in the corner. They looked each other straight in the eyes, breathing heavily due to the heated exchange of words. Owen saw nothing but determination and endless compassion etched into his wife's face. She, however, gazed upon the look of apprehension and fear in her loved ones expression. Owen was afraid. He didn't want the responsibility or the possibility of the past repeating itself.

"Owen," she said tentatively after a few seconds, her expression softening and her voice again calm and reasoning. "Owen, we can teach him otherwise. We can prevent all that happening again. We'll just have to accept the past, but we can try to change the future. He doesn't have to end up like his father did."

Owen sighed heavily, shoulders slumping.

"Its not the child I'm worried about," he said, "Taking him on could become a liability to the community and to us."

"What, you think we can't handle a gifted child?" mocked Beru.

"No, no, its not that. I'm thinking more along the lines of if Daddy comes searching for his son."

"Obi Wan said that they don't know about him."

"What if they do? Even if they don't, they could find out. What then? What would we be able to do in that situation? Besides, if it weren't for Obi Wan the boy would probably not be here in the first place. If it wasn't for that volcano incident…"

"I trust Obi Wan," exclaimed Beru, simply.

"You trust too easily," said Owen.

"Trust is what builds strong relationships. It binds society together. If you don't have faith or trust, you forever spend your life worrying and looking over your shoulder,"

Owen sighed again, smiling wanly.

"You have such a beautiful way with words. It's a shame the Empire or the Hutts don't share your views and ideals. The galaxy would certainly be a much nicer place to live."

"If Obi Wan said they didn't know anything about Padmé's children being born before she died, then they don't know."

"They don't know _yet._ They'll find out eventually. You know full well, as do I, that… that _he_ will discover. You remember how he felt Shmi's pain from across the galaxy? Remember all the Tusken Raiders he killed to avenge her death? He's powerful, Beru, and I'd hate to be around if he ever finds out his offspring is here."

Beru smiled. "That's just a risk we'll have to take," she said, moving away from the doorway.

"OK then. You win. We'll keep him here, raise him as our own and teach him right from wrong, about how to be a farmer. On one condition – he is not to know anything about his father, his siblings or his past. As far as he is concerned, his father is dead. And he will not learn too much about… about _them._ No more than is required for him to pass 'Galactic History' at school, anyway."

Beru kissed him. "I knew you'd come round eventually," she said, smiling.

"I still don't understand why he couldn't go with someone else. His twin went with Senator Organa of Alderaan. Why couldn't he go with them, or with one of the other senators? Why here? Its hardly the ideal place to raise a child," he pondered.

"You and I were raised here," she pointed out. "Maybe its too risky for them to keep the two of them together. Maybe he needs to be here for some reason. I think the boy has a greater purpose in life, greater than that of a senator, possibly greater than what his father once was. His destiny is not in farming, but it begins here, in a humble yet disciplined environment."

"You've been talking to Obi Wan again, haven't you?" laughed Owen. Beru just smiled in reply.


End file.
